title: Importance of mastalgia in operable breast cancer.
abstract: The importance of pain as a presenting symptom of breast cancer has been assessed in a series of 240 patients with operable breast cancer over four years. From an analysis of the case histories of 36 patients the diagnosis proved difficult in one-quarter of the cancers. This is explained by the high incidence of subclinical and lobular carcinoma in the group. Cancer must be seriously considered as a diagnosis in patients presenting with well-localised breast pain of recent onset. These patients should be followed for at least one year after the onset of the pain before cancer is confidently excluded.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001365:Axilla; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D010146:Pain / Q000209:etiology*